Bookworms

I think that it's been pretty well-documented on here that I love to read.  Like a lot.  So, of course, whenever I see my kids getting bit by the reading bug I'm pretty much over the moon happy about it.  While all my kids enjoy books and being read TO, not all of them have always enjoyed doing the actual reading themselves {ahem GRACE}.  Even though they are all pretty good readers.  

A couple of books that I've read recently that have really hit home to me the importance of reading out loud to your children are The Reading Promise and The Read Aloud Handbook.  It's really made me think a lot about the quantity and quality of my read aloud sessions with the kids.  I think research has shown that it's never too early to begin reading -- even to an infant -- but I've never been that hardcore {sorry kids}, and it's usually not until they're toddlers already that I've made any real concerted effort to read out loud to them from actual children's books. 

Imagine my surprise, then -- and delight -- when over the last couple of weeks Alex has begun taking the initiative himself to come and bring books to me that he wants me to read to him.  {Over and over and over again}.  He has turned into a regular bookworm and it's adorable.

He really got into the act of reading while he was sick for those couple of weeks there.

This is from his favorite book -- "Oops!"  He really identifies with Diaper David.  Hahahaha.  And they even look alike we think.  :)

Grace got this set of board books from a book order several months ago because she thought Alex would like it.  She was right.  Hahaha.  We have read these books over and over again over the last few weeks.

As I mentioned before, Grace has not always enjoyed reading all that much.  She loves a story and she's always enjoyed being read to, but she just didn't like to do the reading herself.  {Perhaps she inherited that lazy gene of mine.  Hahaha.}  For the last year or so now she has routinely hijacked my evening at bedtime by insisting that she can't go to sleep without a story.  Since the school year has started, she's supposed to read for 20 minutes on her own each night for homework, but she still can't manage unless I read to her first.  And I will be honest -- it was a major nuisance at first {and still can be when it's late and she's wound up and I'm trying to get all the other kids in bed, too.}  Because I have to let you in on a little secret (which I think I've shared on here before) -- I really don't like reading out loud.  I don't know why exactly that is the case, but I just don't.  I don't mind reading picture books to little ones -- so long as they're GOOD picture books {and there are some REALLY dumb children's books out there} -- but anything else can be slightly torturous depending on my mood.  Hahaha.  Every now and then I'll enjoy reading a chapter book to the older ones, but I've decided the key there is the same as with the picture books -- they have to be GOOD books.  Or at least entertaining ones.  

For awhile, Grace was really into the Puppy Place series of books.  Right up HER alley, but DEFINITELY not mine.  Reading to her on those nights were the worst -- anytime I could pawn it off on Scott I would.  Hahahaha.  A few months ago, however, we started the Ramona series and it was a huge hit.  I actually really enjoyed reading these with her!  AND, even better, it finally flipped the switch for Grace.  She actually started reading for pleasure!  There were so many nights that she stayed up really late -- and way past her required 20 minutes of reading -- to finish up the last few chapters of one of the books because she just had to find out what happened next.  I LOVE that.  As one who has stayed up COUNTLESS late nights to finish a book because I just couldn't put it down, my heart couldn't be warmer.  Plain and simple. 

Over the course of the last few months we read straight through from "Beezus and Ramona" to "Ramona's World."

While Grace was tied up in Ramona's world, Ethan braved Hogwarts one more time.  After finishing the first 4 books last year (or maybe a year and half ago), Ethan kind of took a break from Harry Potter.  He had really wanted to watch the 4th movie, so we told him if he read the book first he could watch the movie.  Mostly because the series starts to get a bit darker and scarier with Book 4.  Once he earned his reward of watching the movie, I think he was a bit burned out.  He hasn't really shown much interest in finishing the series or even moving on to the next book until last month.  And then in a marathon of reading he finished it all up by the end of February in order to finally watch the 5th movie!  He was pulling some pretty late nights himself in order to read his requisite 2 chapters a night towards the end so that he could finish by his goal.  

I'm really surprised and impressed that he did it so quickly!  This book is LONG and to be honest it's my least favorite one in the series.  {Harry is just a bit too angsty and moody for my liking in this installment.  But perhaps that's what appealed to Ethan this time around.  Hahahaha.}  Now that he's done, he's already moved on to Book 6 and he's making progress on that one as well.

Sophie and Jane continue to love books as well, although since they always want Scott to read to them these days, I'm not quite as sure what they're into right now.  Reading aloud is definitely a time-consuming event.  And it can be REALLY difficult when I'm trying to get all the kids in bed by myself.  However, I'm convinced that it really is one of the best things I can do for my kids.  Not only when they're little, but as they grow older as well.  Thanks to The Reading Promise and The Read Aloud Handbook, I've decided that I'm going to start reading to Ethan again, too.  Our first book?  The Westing Game.  We'll see how this goes!